The OBX surf fishing report you’ll bookmark. What’s biting, where, and on what — plus wind, water temp, swell, and beach access notes. Updated daily during the season, more often when it’s hot.
Last updated: May 22, 2026. Conditions change fast — refresh before you head out.
Live conditions last updated: checking… · Source: NOAA NDBC buoys + Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier (Station 8654400).
Conditions Across the OBX — Right Now
Water temperature varies dramatically along the Outer Banks. A single number from a weather app doesn’t tell you what’s happening 80 miles down the beach. Here’s what each buoy is reporting:
| Location | Water Temp | Wind | Buoy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Pier (north, ocean) | 61.2°F | 13 kt SSW | DUKN7 |
| Oregon Inlet Marina (mid, inlet) | 77.0°F | 12 kt SW | ORIN7 |
| Hatteras USCG (south, sound side) | 75.9°F | 4 kt SSW | HCGN7 |
| Diamond Shoals (offshore Hatteras) | 80.1°F | 11.7 kt SSW | 41025 |
Today’s Tides — Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier
| Event | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Low tide | 3:18 AM | — |
| High tide | 9:04 AM | 4.46 ft |
| Low tide | 2:56 PM | — |
| High tide | 9:36 PM | 4.39 ft |
| Sunrise | 5:55 AM | — |
| Sunset | 8:01 PM | — |
Wind & Wave Map
Live wind across the OBX from Windy.com. Use the layer controls (top right) to switch between wind, waves, and other layers. South wind = green, north wind = colder colors.
What’s Biting Right Now
This week’s picture, generated from current water temperatures and established seasonal patterns. The conditions data above refreshes automatically; the species outlook below updates as those readings shift through the season.
- North Beaches (Duck, Corolla, Kitty Hawk): Water still 61°F — too cold for the summer crowd. Striped bass holdovers, maybe some early blues if the warm water pushes north.
- Oregon Inlet area: 77°F means red drum should be active. Stripers fading. Watch the point at the inlet on the outgoing tide.
- Cape Point / Hatteras: Sound-side 75°F, offshore 80°F. Cobia season opens with this water temp. Drum still around the point at night.
- Sound side (Pamlico/Hatteras): Speckled trout and puppy drum on shallow flats at dawn. Sound is warming faster than the ocean north of the inlet.
Beach Access Notes
Spring closures for shorebird nesting are ramping up. Check current ramp status at NPS Cape Hatteras beach access before heading out — closures shift week to week and affect Cape Point, Hatteras Inlet spit, Ocracoke North Point most.
Going Deeper
- What’s typically biting this month →
- Where to fish, spot by spot →
- Species guide: red drum, stripers, blues, sharks →
How to Read This Outer Banks Surf Fishing Report
A useful OBX surf fishing report does not just say “the fish are biting.” It tells you which species, which beach, which bait, and which tide. That is what this page is built to do, and it is data-driven from top to bottom — water temps come from the NOAA buoys closest to the beach you are fishing, tides come from the Hatteras Pier station, and the “what’s biting” outlook is inferred from those live readings against the temperature windows each species favors.
Use the water-temp table first. The Outer Banks runs roughly 80 miles north-to-south and the spread between Duck and Diamond Shoals can easily exceed 15°F. Red drum, striped bass, pompano, sea mullet, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel each have their own temperature window — match the buoy reading to the species you want and you have already cut the guesswork in half. Then check the wind. Anything over 20 knots out of the east or northeast and the surf is going to be muddy from Corolla to Ocracoke. South wind 5–15 knots is the sweet spot for most of the OBX.
How These Conditions Are Sourced
Every reading on this page is pulled automatically from public data: water temperature and wind from NOAA NDBC buoys, tides from NOAA station 8654400 at the Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier. The species outlook is derived from those readings, not from any single day on the sand. Spot a reading that looks off, or a regulation that has changed? Email hello@obxmaps.com.